Epoch2
by arigato-sasusaku
Summary: No one said it would be easy but that didnt mean it had to be difficult either / new prompt drabble series / Prompt 2: Zombie Apocalypse AU - angst.
1. Care

**_Care_**

* * *

-x-

Sasuke's eyes shot open, the haze of sleep making his vision blur for a few moments. For a few seconds, he did nothing but blink, slowly sitting up in his bed and hand moving to rest close to the weapon concealed on his bedside table. The room was silent and it was only for the strength of his eyes that the boy could still through the darkness surrounding him. With a somewhat confused glance to the alarm clock beside him, noting that it was still only the odd hours of the morning, Sasuke frowned as he wondered what could have woken him.

It was true that he was a light sleeper but usually there was _something_ to rouse him - whether it be a cat knocking over something heavy in a nearby alleyway or the old creaking of the wooden beams of his ceiling.

But now, as he frowned and glanced around -somewhat suspiciously- Sasuke noted nothing out of place. No noise, no intruders, no indication of what had awoken him.

With a irritated grunt, the Uchiha went to slump back down on the mattress and try to regain any sort moments rest that had been lost.

However, a dull, sluggish knocking suddenly echoed through his home and he sat upright once more.

His brows furrowed in confused and he resisted the urge to check the clock again. It sounded as if someone was knocking at his door but the thought seemed implausible at such an early hour. Though once again, two more, slightly quieter knocks came and Sasuke rose to his feet, padding quietly towards his door.

Dark brows were drawn sharply together, irritation ready to be released at whomever was daring to bother him at such a ridiculous time in the morning. He swore if it was the dobe then he would-

Though, as he swung open the door, with a little more force than necessary, bewilderment was quick to suppress any previous irritation.

"Sakura," The boy stated, gazing at the team mate standing in his door way - looking considerably worse for wear.

The girl seemed to be regaining her breath as her hair hung lank over her face, posture slumped and tired. The sight made him frown and once again, the confusion he felt upon waking hit him full force.

But before he could ask what the hell she was doing, she rose her head with an apologetic, undeniably weary frown on her lips. Upon her doing so, Sasuke was quick to notice the cut that marred the skin of her cheek - the blood already smeared and crusted around it. _  
_

"Gomen Sasuke-kun to turn up like this," She sounded almost breathless, he noticed and he frowned a little deeper, "But I just got back from Suna and my apartment is so far away…"

The girl trailed off and it was then that his gaze lingered over her form once more, only then noticing the way she was clutching at her side.

"You're hurt," He said, drawing his eyes back upwards and meeting her gaze.

"We ran into some trouble," She admitted with a small sort of smile, straightening herself up gingerly, "So…I was wondering if it would be okay, if I stayed here tonight, just tonight! I dont want to be rude and I know its late-"

Sasuke scoffed before opening the door a little wider, ignoring the way she glanced at him so full of surprise.

Did she really think he would leave her in the street, in the middle of the night and _injured?_

The thought made him frown and the irritation that once faded bubbled up again, making him scowl and turn away as she hesitantly made her way inside. It had been a little more than a year since he had returned to Leaf and in turn become a part of Team 7 once more.

"Sit." He bit out, stiffly tilting his chin towards the living room and making his way towards the kitchen - not caring about her stammered protests in the slightest.

He watched from the corner of his eye as she gingerly lowered herself onto his sofa, a small hiss of pain travelling through the silence of the house. Though, despite her condition, the girl still seemed uneasy; her posture was as straight as she could manage and the hand that wasnt pressed to her side was fumbling with the hem of her skirt.

She was uncomfortable in his home despite how she had _chosen _to knock on his door in the middle of the night, Sasuke realised with a hefty dose of disdain.

Or perhaps Sakura was uncomfortable around him?

True it was that most of the damage done by his absence had been delicately repaired - whether intentional or not on his behalf - it was clear that there were some deeper issues between them that still remained. With Naruto, it was more difficult to notice, being how he is. With Sakura, however, it was in every moment when she was unable to meet his eyes and in the panicked, nervous apologies she would spew every time her touch lingered for too long after healing.

Or in the way she was sitting so rigidly in his living room.

Letting out an annoyed, short sigh, the boy gathered what little medical supplies he held in his kitchen cupboards and made his way back to her.

She seemed to jolt when he sat beside her, her gaze wandering to the small box of supplies to the boy in an eventual realisation of sorts.

"Use this," He somewhat demanded, thrusting a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol towards her. Sakura blanched slightly, blinking at the object.

"Ano... its okay," She smiled slightly, the expression looking more tired than it did encouraging in his eyes, "I can heal it in the morning."

Sasuke scowled at her, dark eyes narrowing sharply. How many times had she berated him and Naruto for not tending their wounds straight away?

_Hypocrite._

"Do it." The boy bit out, his patience wearing thin.

First she turns up at an ungodly hour expecting to stay and now she was actually denying his _help? _After all these years, she was still _goddamn annoying._

Sakura must have heard the barely concealed bite to usually emotionless tone as she retreated into herself slightly, nodding faintly. However, as she raised her hand, the dim light of the room allowed the boy to see the carnage that the girl had so proficiently hid from him before.

Retracting the cloth away from her reach, Sasuke's eyes stayed glued to her outstretched hands. Her knuckles were black and blue and various cuts and scrapes littered the usually pale (soft) skin of her fingers.

_We ran into some trouble_

How _much_ trouble had she ran into exactly? He knew that Sakura's tendency to destroy the ground they walked on had some consequences, but he had never seen her hands look quite so …_battered_ after any of their sparring sessions. His mind questioned why she was on a mission like that without the rest of Team 7 in the first place - the last he had heard of one of the girl's medic nin missions was simply to deliver some herbs. Surely this couldnt be the same one?

Realising his thoughts were wandering far too much for his liking, Sasuke fixed the girl with an accusatory glare before glancing downwards at her waist again.

"Move."

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, you dont need to-" However, a sharp hiss of pain left her lips as the cloth made contact with the wound. Much to Sasuke's relief, whatever had caused such an injury had torn a considerable hole in her clothing, meaning that there was no need to _remove _any articles.

Not as if it would matter if that was the case, he was no ecchi pervert like Naruto or Kakashi. He would never stoop so low as to leer or take advantage of such a situation - especially not with such a vulnerable, injured _team mate._

Nonetheless, a situation where clothes were kept on was..._ preferable_ for the time being.

"Keep still." He berated, eyes flickering irritably to her face for a few seconds as she writhed away from his touch.

"Gomen," She mumbled, eyes clenched shut tightly. Apparently, exhaustion considerably lowers pain threshold.

As he dabbed the last few areas of the cut, he felt her hand land just above his knee, fingers curling into the material of his pyjamas. The unexpected contact made him tense slightly and retract the cloth. However, it seemed that it was unintentional as Sakura slowly opened her eyes and the boy watched the realisation of what she had done spread across her expression.

"G-gom-"

"Shut up," He snapped, growing tired of her constant apologies. Before she could snatch her hand away from him, Sasuke grabbed her wrist, ignoring the small gasp from the girl. Silently, he continued to clean the smaller wounds on her hand, keeping his gaze firmly on his task - unsure of what her expression may be if he was to look at the kunoichi.

If he _had _looked, Sasuke would have seen her wide eyed and blushing - the colour of her cheeks barely hidden by the dim light.

The moments passed in silence as he carried on, ensuring that everything was cleaned and no longer bleeding. He was certainly no medic but Sasuke _never _allowed any task to be finished second rate.

Watching him, Sakura's eyes never left his face, not really sure of whether he was purposely avoiding her gaze. Though, with a resigned smile, she decided that she was being silly. It was just Sasuke. He would never think any thing more of this - despite how intimate it could be perceived.

Regardless, Sakura allowed her hand to hang limp in his, quietly loving how carefully he was treating her wounds - even though she knew that cuts like those would heal so easily on their own. He didnt need to know that though. She certainly wasnt going to ruin this moment by telling him, either.

When he was finished, he released her wrist and finally rose his eyes to her face - surprised to find her already looking at him. There was such a softness to her expression, an expression he hadnt seen in a while, it caused him feel strangely uneasy and eventually glance away.

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun." She murmured and the boy could practically hear the smile in her voice. A few moments of silence fell between them, though the Uchiha was unsure as to why.

Finally giving her a sideways glance and an affirming, 'Hn', Sasuke rose to his feet.

"Move, Sakura." Looking down at her, the boy frowned as if annoyed that she was still sitting there.

Confused by this, the girl blinked and delicate pink brows drew together on her forehead, creasing the diamond that laid there, "Why?

Jaw clenching and bitterly questioning her role as the smartest of their academy class, Sasuke crossed his arms, "Because I need to sleep."

For a moment, Sakura seemed even more confused by this - nose actually scrunching and head cocking to the side almost childishly. However, the pin eventually dropped and her viridian eyes widened.

"Iie, Sasuke-kun, I can sleep here. Its not problem!" She protested, running her hand over the seat as if to strengthen her claim.

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Sasuke reeled in his waning temper. What time even was it now? Did she not want to sleep tonight? She may as well have walked back to her own home if that was the case.

"No," He said, scowling down at her, "You cant. Now move, Sakura."

A few moments passed where she was simply frowning up at him but Sasuke refused to back down - when had he ever before? Eventually, she rose to her feet, albeit with considerable effort on her part and moved towards the doorway.

Sinking back down on the sofa, not bothering to find any extra pillows or covers, Sasuke closed his eyes for a few moments, not appreciating the way his eyes felt heavy nor the thought of the ache he was bound to feel in his bones come morning.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Suppressing a sigh, he answered with a tired, "What?" with perhaps a little more bite than necessary. Sakura either ignored it or her own fatigue prevented her from picking up on his blunt tone as she continued, voice as soft and melodic as ever.

"You didnt have to tend my wounds, y'know. I…really appreciate it."

He couldnt see her, the boy already laying down and facing the back of the chair but he could easily imagine her standing in the doorway, staring at him, no doubt.

It was true though, there was no need to do such a thing, the girl would have been quite capable to fix the wounds in the morning - even if they had become infected or worsened by her avoidance of the task, Sakura was certainly skilled enough to deal with such a situation.

But it would have been wrong to leave her in such a state. Not only would it be a disrespectful way to treat a fellow team mate, Sasuke found he didnt like the idea of Sakura being bleeding and bruised while in his halls and rooms of the house hadnt seen blood in a very long time and the Uchiha didnt intend to break that run with Sakura of all people.

It didnt bode well.

Though, instead of voicing what his mind was filling in for him, Sasuke found himself saying, "I didnt want you to bleed on everything."

It sounded ridiculous, even he could hear it. Nevertheless, a light giggle filled the air and eased some of the tension from the boy's body.

"…Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

He didnt reply or react when he heard her sluggish footsteps move down the hall but Sasuke couldnt suppress the smirk when the girl called back a few moments later and said, "I'll try not ruin the furniture!"

_-x-_

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_Review if you like~ Theyre very much appreciated ^^_


	2. Not You

**_Not You_**

* * *

**_Prompt: _**_Zombie AU angst. _

**_Notes: _**_These prompts will get happier, I swear aha. Oh and AU probably wont be a normal occurrence, by the way. Most will be post-canon or war etc so in the naruto-verse _

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x-x-x-x

Sakura let out a loud, shaky laugh as the door slammed behind them, cutting off the unsettling sounds of groans and laboured screeches from afar. The handle of the blade at her waist clattered against the wood but it didnt phase her. Its not as if _they _were attracted to sound.

"We made it," She exclaimed with a disbelieving smile, her tired eyes fluttering shut for a few precious seconds as she aimed to catch her breath. The adrenaline from the chase was still running havoc in her veins and making her palms shake against the door they were laid flat against.

But she didnt_ care_ because they were _alive _and they had actually made it out of one of the closest scrapes to date.

The terror she had felt only moments ago had now wilted away and had now been replaced with such a rare, blissful sort of relief, Sakura had almost forgotten the feeling. It made a long, steady sigh escape her lungs and allowed some of the tension to leave her ever wound tight muscles.

It was _wonderful. __  
_

For a few seconds, the girl merely laid her head back against the wood, revelling in the few seconds of complete and utter silence.

No crashes, no moans, no distant shuffling of the dead.

They were only ever entitled to a few scarce moments like this and Sakura intended to revel in it.

A sharp exhale quickly reminded her of the other presence and her eyes fluttered open, searching the relatively dark, dusty room for the boy. He was sitting on the floor, panting heavily and for a moment, Sakura's eyes glimmered in amusement.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, are you really that out of-" However, as she approached him, her words died in her throat and the smile disappeared just as quickly.

"Sasuke-kun…" She murmured slowly, wearily, eyes set on the way he was clutching at his shoulder. Stopping her slow steps directly in front of him, the girl found she couldnt tear her gaze from one strip of material that hung between his fingers.

When…when had he ripped his shirt?

As another shakey breath forced its way through his teeth and the boy ducked his head ever so subtly, Sakura felt her stomach lurch. But the dread was pushed away, denied, and the voice screaming rationality was suffocated in the back of her mind.

Dropping to her knees in front of him, between his legs, Sakura silently (shakily) reached out to the hand clamped over his shoulder.

"_Dont." _He hissed as her hand brushed his arm, Sasuke making an effort jerk away from her.

But it wasnt enough to hide it from her. For as soon as her fingertips had felt the fevered heat of his clammy skin, Sakura released a shaky, distraught breath - one she had been apparently holding.

The blissful relief and happiness she had felt only moments ago washed away with a heavy thump of her heart and something much more painful, much more suffocating replaced it.

"Move-" Her throat constricted and it was shocking how quick tears were to blur her vision, "Your hand, Sasuke-kun."

He didnt move his hand, instead, he rose his eyes to her - the first time he had done so since they had entered their supposed safe-haven. When her gaze reluctantly met his, Sakura had to choke back a sob at what she found lingering.

The look in his coal eyes was resigned, _defeated. _It wasnt like Sasuke to look that way. He never backed down, he was never one to give up but when his lips tugged downwards in a pained grimace and his expression softened ever so slightly, something tore through the girl's chest.

"Sakura,"

In response, she shook her head quickly, refusing to listen to him, refusing to listen to what she had heard him order countless times before.

"_Sakura-"_

"No," She all but whimpered, ignoring his weak warning and closing her eyes tightly. If she closed her eyes, then maybe she wouldnt see his expression.

"You know what you need to do-"

Silently, Sakura shook her head again, tears squeezing their way past her closed eyelids, sliding past her pursed lips and onto her chin. This couldnt happen, it _wasnt _happening, she refused to believe.

They had been so careful. It wasnt happening. Not to them, not to _him. _

"You're okay, its just a scratch," She whispered, opening her eyes and focussing her attention on his shoulder. Maybe he had just caught it on some broken glass, they had to climb through so many windows after all-

"No," If she hadnt been so preoccupied, maybe she would have caught the softness to his tone, "Its not."

It was then that he gingerly removed his hand from his shoulder and it was then that a broken gasp tore its way from Sakura's throat. Her stomach lurched once more as watery green eyes fell on the torn apart flesh of his shoulder, clear puncture marks where teeth had sunken into his skin.

He'd been bitten.

It was enough for the sobs to break free from her lips and for the tears to slip down, heavy and sluggish, down her dirty cheeks.

"Not you," She whispered, the feeling in her chest so maddeningly painful, that the girl curled in on herself slightly, clutching at her shirt. After watching her recoil, the boy's eyes lowered for a moment.

Sakura had never hidden her feelings for him. When they were younger, they were more obvious, more overt but when _all this _happened, meaningless things were pushed aside in favour for survival. With a bitter afterthought and a subtle glance at his shoulder, Sasuke wondered how much good it had really done them now.

She loved him and he…_cared _for her - more so than he liked to admit.

Maybe they should have just revelled in it instead of waiting for a better time. Maybe they should have-

A sudden bang accompanied by a low groan made the pair jolt, attention suddenly falling back to the closed door - the same door that was now waning slightly on its hinges, a shadow laying beneath it.

Immediately, Sasuke's gaze tore back to the girl in front of him. Even if he had been too careless, _she _would not die today. Regaining some of the bite to his tone, he spoke once more.

"Sakura, you dont have time-" Only to be interrupted.

"I am _not _leaving you," She sobbed, gaze flickering back to him with a crease between her frowns and an almost angry frown to her lips.

He had been stupid.

He promised Naruto he'd look after her. How the hell was he supposed to do that now?

Pushing back a wince, Sasuke held her gaze, noting how her lips quivered and the tears made her eyes puffy.

_Yes, _they definitely should have made the most of whatever it was they had - instead of dancing around it with lingering touches and stolen glances.

Slowly, Sasuke reached forward until his hand was sliding to the back of her neck, fingers tangling in the short pink tresses at her nape. She leaned in immediately, the girl trying to erase the sight of how his tired coal orbs wandered her face as she did so.

He only stopped tugging when their foreheads were pressed together and once again, Sakura tried to ignore how hot his skin was against hers. Instead, she closed her eyes and imagined they were elsewhere - a field, a warm home, the park.

Not a dusty, abandoned wreck of a tea house.

She imagined Sasuke smiling, maybe coming home from work, pulling her close.

They would have been happy. She would have ensured it. Every day would have been happy, _fun. _

The sluggish thumps against the door was distracting but Sakura could ignore it, if she could just concentrate on the hand that was now tangling with hers, she could ignore the body outside the door.

Letting out a short, shaky breath, her fingers clumsily -_desperately- _sought to clutch at his, anchoring herself to him. The blood on his hands was forgotten, even as it made her fingers sickeningly slippery against his. Though Sakura took some comfort in the way he held her just as tightly despite it.

Sasuke wasnt oblivious to the way the door shook slightly behind them, he didnt doubt that there was more than one out there. They moved in groups after all. She couldnt stay here.

He had already been too selfish, keeping her. Closing his eyes a little tighter, the boy let out a silent shuddered sigh - his chest burning as he did so. Slowly, he pulled their hands towards him, feeling no resistance from her. _Good. _

However, when their palms rested over the cool metal of the gun at his waist, Sasuke enclosed his hand over hers a little tighter, refusing to let her pull away - which she vehemently tried to.

"You need to. You know that." He said, dark eyes opening with a lot more effort than the boy would have liked. As he did so, Sasuke was met with wide, teary peridot eyes staring back at him - the silent plea obvious.

Biting back a sob, Sakura's bottom lip quivered as she felt him move their hands once more, something cool and heavy eventually replacing the warmth of his palm. She didnt dare look down.

Though, she already knew what would be resting in her hand.

Through the blur of her tears, Sakura could _see _the effect it was already having on him. His skin was clammy and pale, and the eyes she loved so dearly were tired and…_dull. _It was happening already.

Soon, he'd be one of them and she didnt know if she could take seeing _Sasuke-kun_ like that.

Her fingers tightened around the metal grip.

"Aishiteru," She whispered as his hand dropped from her neck.

_I know._

"I'm sorry," He murmured back, gaze flickering over her face once more before pulling her hand upwards, the barrel resting against his temple. Bitterly, Sasuke thought he probably could have loved her too.

Her strength faltered then, fingers falling limp as the gravity of the situation fell on her shoulders (and heart). But Sasuke tightened his hand around her own, holding her in place.

"I dont want to end up like Itachi, Sakura," He said quietly, jaw clenching at the memory and clutch tightening.

At that, Sakura failed to hold back a sob and it tore from her throat ugly and uninhibited, making her brows scrunch and her chest feel so tight she could barely breathe.

When she saw the pain lingering in his gaze, she knew it wasnt from the rotting flesh at his shoulder and it made her heart sting. Sasuke's family had meant everything to him and that day, when they had found them-

Sakura shook her head, swallowing thickly.

"Okay," She all but whimpered, pursing her lips and meeting his gaze once more, ignoring the tears that slipped down her cheeks with ease. Her finger slid to the trigger and she bought the back of her hand up to her lips to muffle another sob.

"Sakura," He murmured, eyes closing with defeat at what was to come, "Arigatou."

Sakura could only cry as she pulled the trigger.

_-x-x-x-x_

* * *

_Review if you like~ _

_They're very much appreciated! I really like hearing of what you all think! - rants, rambles or one word/sentences are fine by me :') _


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